PROFILE

Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly both studied Architecture in Dublin in the 1980’s, before moving to Paris in 1990, where they have lived and worked ever since. After a lengthy collaboration with the esteemed French urban theorist Bernard Huet in the early 90’s they developed a long lasting interest in the filmed city. This, combined with a deep commitment to how art enters daily life has led them to address wide-ranging issues to do with contemporary society in their art.

Since 2000, their video works have mostly centred on the city. The Boulevard Project, entirely shot in the 18th arrondissement in north Paris, and predominantly on the Boulevard Barbès, comprises to date 28 short films, including the recently released series Natures Construites, and a multi screen video installation, RVB,. The Boulevard has been exhibited worldwide and has received several international awards.

Their work combines elements of performance, documentary, experimental film, installation, writing and photography. They have developed a practice which they call observer participation, bringing the public and other collaborators into works that they call entanglements. This have led them into partnerships with musicians, dancers, writers and teachers. They have become filmmakers, writers, photographers and even computer programmers.

In 2006 they created HereThereNowThen, at LCGA in Limerick using the observer participation principle. These installations travelled widely and evolved over the next two years before being regrouped for an exhibition entitled Pourquoi pas Toi? in the Pompidou Centre in Paris in winter 2008, visited by over 40 000 people over the three months it was in place. 

A major public commission, Moving Dublin has brought them back to Dublin since 2006. For two years they talked to and filmed Dubliners from many social backgrounds, from school children and teachers, to writers and architects. about their daily journeys through a city suffocated by modern urban problems, they released Moving Dublin, a filmic essay about contemporary Dublin and a collection of photographs, essays, and video works published in a hardcover volume by Gandon Editions. This work was seminal in the development of the theory and practice of observer-participation in their work (see, for example, the dialogues with teenagers that formed the backbone of The Observer Effect).

Their research often involves collaboration with public institutions. In 2008 they took part in a cycle of conferences with the CNRS in Paris entitled Perceptions Art-Science. In Dance Ireland in Dublin, in the Museum of Modern Art and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, they organised workshops with a whole range of performing artists, students and children.

Their work develops laterally, often evolving rapidly and taking many forms, responding to the particular and individual needs of each project and context. They believe that art should be at the service of society, and their work is a constant enquiry into contemporary social and cultural questions.

This year they have received the AIB Art Prize 2009 and launched Moving Dublin in Ireland. They are preparing an exhibition for Sao Paulo in the autumn.

Far from fitting into a category, Connolly & Cleary’s work is constantly evolving in harmony with their lives, their environment, new technologies.  The dynamic architecture of their approach allows them to mingle events from their daily life with the fiction of their art. Their work is often inspired by fundamental questions of perception, relationships between movement, sounds, forms and colours. 

Thi Bich Doan. Past and Presence. Gandon Editions 2007

CURRICULUM VITÆ                                                     

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2009Moving Dublin. Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, October 2009

2008        Pourquoi Pas Toi?  Centre Pompidou, Paris, France.
2006        Here There Now Then, LCGA, Limerick, Ireland.

2005        Yokohama House Guests, Yokohama Triennial, Japan.

                RVB, Espace Schöffer,  Paris, France.

2004        RVB, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, France.

2002        Scènes du Boulevard , Galerie Éof, Paris, France.

2000        Des Vraies Histoires, LCGA, Limerick, Ireland

                Des Vraies Histoires, Galerie Éof, Paris, France.

1999        Touchy, Galway Arts Festival, Galway, Ireland.

                Touchy, Bretigny Centre d’Art Contemporain, France.

1998        Touchy, Arthouse, Dublin, Ireland.

PUBLIC COMMISSIONS

2010Pratiques: Participative Art Project, Permanent Interactive Video /Photographic Installations

                        (Commissioned by the Town of Sorgues, France, for their new Media Institution).

Still Life With… Sculptural interactive Video Installation.

                        (Commissioned by Limerick City Gallery of art and AIB)
2009Day 1 Today. Permanent interactive video installation.

(Commissioned by Limerick school of Art and Design).

2007/2008Moving Dublin. Participative Art Project, book and HD documentary film.

(Commissioned by South Dublin County Council/In Context 3 Percent for Art Programme).

2007Ballymun Sequence. Participative Art Project and Permant Musical Video Installation.

(Commissioned by the Ballymun Primary Healthcare Facility).

2006Here There Now Then. Interactive Video Installation.

(Commissioned by the Limerick City Gallery and the Arts Council of Ireland).

Plus/Minus. Interactive Video Installation.

(Commissioned by Kinsale Arts Week, LCGA and Cork Film Centre).

2005 Yokohama Houseguests. Interactive Video Installation.

(Commissioned by the Yokohama Triennial).

Endless Walk: Narrative Video Installation.

(Commissioned by W139, Amsterdam for the Global Tour Exhibition).

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2009        Sombras e Luz, Sesc Pompéia, Sao Paulo, September 15 - December 6 2009.

                Noughties but Nice, 21st Century Irish Art. LCGA, Limerick, September - November

                TULCA Season of visual art, Galway, November 2009.

2008        2MOVE IRELAND, Solstice Art Centre, Navan Ireland, Here, Then and Now

                BARBICAN CENTER, London, Do Something Different, March 2008

                Forum des Sciences Cognitive, Paris, Life of Saint Mary

                Satellite, Light-based Media Showcase, Tallaght, Dublin, Cityloops (work in progress)

2007        Galway Arts Festival: Ballymun Sequence

2006        BBC Big Screen, Liverpool, Scènes du Boulevard

                Tina –B, National Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic, BPM

2005        Kilkenny International Art Festival, Ireland, RVB

                Tulca Season of Visual Arts, Galway, Ireland, Scènes du Boulevard

                EV+A, Limerick City Art Gallery, Limerick, Ireland, RVB

                Global Tour, W139, Amsterdam, Holland, Endless Walk

2004        Kulturforum, Dresden, Germany, Scenes du Boulevard

2003        European Media Art Festival, Germany, Scènes du Boulevard

2002        Centre d’Art Contemporain de l’Abbaye Saint- Andre, France, Des Vraies Histoires

                Nuit Blanche, Galerie Éof/Centre Cerise Paris, Scènes du Boulevard

2001        Musee d’Art Moderne, Marseille, France, Tosser

2000        Art House, Dublin, Ireland, Touchy 1 - 3

                Centre d’Art Contemporain, Herouville-Saint-Clair, Des Vraies Histoires

1999        Triskle Art Centre, Cork, Ireland, Touchy 1 - 3

                ZAC9, Musee d’Art Moderne, Paris, France, The Pizza Project

SELECTED FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVALS

2008        Galway Arts Festival and the Enso-Darklight Festival, Ballymun Sequence.

2007        Videoformes International Festival of New Media, France, 12345six

                New Zealand International Festivals, RVB

2006        International Film Festival, Rotterdam, Holland, Scènes du Boulevard

2005        New Zealand International Festivals, Scènes du Boulevard

2004        Kerry Film Festival, Tralee, Ireland, No Thank You

                Bangkok Short Film Festival, Bangkok, Thailand, Scènes du Boulevard

                Simrisham International Art Film Festival, Sweden, Scènes du Boulevard

                Les Écrans Documentaires, France, BPM

2003        La Rochelle International Film Festival, France, Scènes du Boulevard

                Flanders International Film Festival, Belgium, Scènes du Boulevard

                International Festival of Electronic Arts, Columbia, Scènes du Boulevard

2002        Backup 2002 New Media in Film, Weimar, Germany, Scènes du Boulevard

                Viper Film & Video Festival, Basel, Switzerland, Scènes du Boulevard

2001        Rencontres Internationales Paris-Berlin, Paris, France, Touchy

2000        16th Hamburg Short Film Festival, Hamburg, Germany, Touchy

                Interfilm Short Film Festival, Berlin, Germany, Touchy

SELECTED WORKS

2007-8    Moving Dublin  (Commissioned by South Dublin County Council/In Context 3)

2007        Natures Construites  (Supported by the Ville de Paris)

                Ballymun Sequence (Commissioned by the Ballymun Primary Healthcare Facility)

2006        Here There Now Then (Commissioned by the Limerick City Gallery and the Arts Council)

                Plus/Minus  (Commissioned by Kinsale Arts Week)

                Here (Commissioned by Kinsale Arts Week)

2005        Yokohama Houseguests  (Commissioned by the Yokohama Triennial)

                Endless Walk  (Commissioned by W139, Amsterdam for the Global Tour Exhibition)

                12345six  (Supported by the Ville de Paris)

                Moskova (Commissioned by RB&CIE with the Ville de Paris)

2004        RVB   (Supported by the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris)

2003        BPM   (Commissioned by Cité de la Musique, Paris)

2002        Scenes du Boulevard   (Supported by the Ville de Paris)

2000        The Exchange (Moving Image Award, Cork Film Centre)

                Des Vraies Histoires

                Tosser

1999        Touchy

RECENT COLLABORATIVE EVENTS

2008        'Body and Camera', Multi-Disciplinary Exchange workshops, Dance Ireland, Dublin. 

                Cartes Blanches, Pourquoi pas Toi? Centre Pompidou.

2007        Plus/Minus, Multi-Disciplinary performance, The Place, London.

2006        Plus/Minus, Multi-Disciplinary workshop and performance, Limerick City Gallery of Art.

AWARDS

2006        Ville de Paris, Aide à la Création

2005        EV+A 2005  award, Limerick, Ireland

2003        Best Documentary Film Prize, Kerry Film Festival, Ireland

2002        Ville de Paris, Aide à la Création

                Ville de Paris, Bourse d’Aide à la Réalisation

2000        Moving Image Award, Cork Film Centre, Cork, Ireland

1999        Prix de jury, Biennale of Video Art, Sofia, Bulgaria

COLLECTIONS

2007        Cinémathèque Française, Paris

                Auckland University Media Studies department.

2006        Limerick City Gallery of Art, Ireland

                The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaion

2005        École Nationale Supériore, Paris La Villette

                Collection of Gilbert Petitbon, Maison de l’Aigle, Brittany, France

                Private Collections in France, Belgium, Ireland

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2009        Moving Dublin. Hardback Publication with DVD. Gandon Editions ISBN 978 0948037 696

                Le Figaro et Vous, mardi 23 December 2008

2007        Edge °2 – Anne Cleary + Denis Connolly: Past + Presence. Gandon Editions

                Paul O’Brien. New-media art: An Irish context. CIRCA 120, Summer 2007, P 36.

2006        Karen Normoyle, Here There Now Then, CIRCA 118 Winter 2006 p 99.

2005        Marc Mercier,  Difference, Une Gaie Anarchie, Les Anarchistes 13, March 2005.

                Emmanuelle Farine, Image en Mouvement/ultracontemporain, L’OIEL, March 2004.

                Marc Mercier, Danser-Dormir, Bref, le Magazine de Court Metrage, March-April 2005.

                Aidan Dunne, The Arts, Irish Times March 22, 2005, p14

2004        RVB, Catalogue, Centre Culturel Irlandais and Ville de Paris.

                Lucy Cotter, The Migrant's Perspective: Irish Artists in Mainland Europe, Arts Council / An

                Chomhairle Ealaíon Critical Reflection Award 2004.

                Yann Le Nagard, BPM, Journal des Écrans Documentaire.

                Nathalie Stefanof, Entretien avec Anne Cleary & Denis Connolly. Parade 4, Revue d’art et

                de littérature de l’école d’expression plastique de la ville de Tourcoing, Nov 2004.

2003        Anni Zimmerman, Scènes du Boulevard: Urbanisme, Nov/Dev 2003 p12.

                Luc Brou, Somebody’s Watching Me, Catalogue Bandits’mages, Dec 2003, p 126.